


Office Gossip

by TheDemonMidget



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Office, Fluff and Angst, Jealousy, M/M, Misunderstandings, Multi, Office Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:47:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27747739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDemonMidget/pseuds/TheDemonMidget
Summary: Thanatos has been given a promotion, and Zagreus has been appointed the new liason between Hades and Olympus. But in the wake of their new office lifestyle, even the smallest misunderstandings can cause the biggest problems.
Relationships: Megaera/Zagreus (Hades Video Game), Thanatos/Zagreus (Hades Video Game)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 96





	1. The Gift

**Author's Note:**

> An office AU of Hades that literally came out of nowhere. Here we go with the first chapter!

It had taken time for Thanatos to become fully used to his new office. He had worked so hard for this promotion, that it came as a complete surprise when he moved his belongings up to the fifth floor and found that all he had acquired in the years he worked for Hades barely filled one of the numerous book shelves that lined the walls. If he didn’t know any better, he would have said that nobody occupied this office before him. Everything looked new. The carpets were springy, as though no one had tread on them, and every flat surface was polished. 

Once he had settled in, others around the office began bringing him little congratulatory gifts, mostly knick knacks that he really had no use for, but he set them up on the shelves in front of the books regardless, out of respect. The only mementos that really held meaning were from Nyx and Hypnos, small family trinkets that were placed in prominent areas so as to immediately draw the attention of anyone who entered. 

Before long, Thanatos had grown comfortable in his space. Everything was arranged to his meticulous tastes, and he could finally fully concentrate on his work. 

That was when  _ he _ walked in. Without knocking, of course.

“So I hear that congratulations are in order.”

Thanatos paused, pen in hand, and glanced up to see Zagreus standing in the doorway. He was following the dress code for a change, even with his blood red tie knotted at his throat. Clearly he just came from meeting with his father - it was the only time he did away with the many embellishments to his person that were ostentatious, but not necessarily breaking the rules.

“I appreciate your sentiment,” Thanatos responded, looking back down at his desk.

“I guess that’s the best ‘you’re welcome’ you can manage.” Zag closed the door behind him and crossed the room slowly, taking in his surroundings, “Well well, you did a nice job in here. You even have your own private bathroom.” he gestured to the adjacent door, “If I didn’t know any better, I would say this is quite similar to my father’s setup.”

_ I knew it, _ Thanatos thought, laying his pen down and sitting up, clasping his hands on the desk. 

“Impressed, Zag?”

He chuckled. “Well I certainly like your office more than his. Yours at least has personality.”

Thanatos took a deep breath, mostly to maintain his patience, but he unintentionally caught the scent of the cologne Zagreus was wearing today. “Is there something else you wanted? I do have a few things to get done today.”

Zag shook his head. “Cut right to the point, then? Alright. I brought you a little something.”

It was then that Than noticed the parcel under his arm. He set it down on the desk in front of him, stepping back and then placing his hands in his pockets. Thanatos took the parcel and carefully unwrapped it, then stared in disbelief at what he was holding.

Ambrosia…?

“Zag...where did you get this?”

He grinned devilishly. “I have my sources.”

“I find it difficult to believe you just picked up a bottle of the most expensive liquor in this realm.” Thanatos stood, leaving the bottle of ambrosia on the desk.

“Oh, come on. Where’s your gratitude? A promotion as big as yours has more than earned you a libation such as this.” Zag shrugged, “I’m not saying we crack it open right now, I know you’re busy.”

“Zagreus, look at me.”

Their gazes met, the prince looking at him innocently.

“Did you steal this?”

The grin slowly faded, as did the playful spark in Zagreus’ mismatched eyes. “Than...you can’t possibly think I would reduce myself to theft just to impress you?”

“Ambrosia is difficult to come by, even for your father.”

“And that means I stole it?” his eyes narrowed.

Thanatos did not back down. He crossed his arms over his chest. “Then where did you get it?”

“You’re really looking the gift-horse in the mouth, here. Does that not count as ‘rude’?”

“Answer my question.”

Zagreus stuck his chin out. “If you must know, it was a reward from my uncle Zeus. Achilles and I did some work for him.”

Thanatos knew better than to ask what kind of work, and he knew that Zag wouldn’t lie about something like this. Immediately, he felt foolish, and the stern expression on his own face faded. 

“...Zag, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-”

“You did. Don’t insult me by pretending otherwise.”

Suddenly, Zagreus’ tone was eerily similar to his father’s. Had Thanatos not known better, it would have made him feel uneasy. All he could feel in this moment was remorse for his behavior.

Suddenly, a knock on his office door cut through the mounting tension. Thanatos cleared his throat.

“Come in.”

Zagreus turned away from him as Megaera opened the door and came in, the clicking of her stilettos silencing as she stepped onto the new carpet. “Pardon the interruption, gentlemen. I just came to fetch Zagreus. We have to get going, you know.”

“Yeah. Right.” Zagreus headed toward the door without so much as a backward glance, stalking past Meg into the hallway. Her eyes followed him until he was gone, then flitted back to Thanatos.

“Did something happen?”

Thanatos took the bottle of ambrosia from the desk and went to place it in the nearby liquor cabinet. “No...Zagreus was just stopping by to congratulate me.”

She gave him a long, knowing look before stepping back out to the hallway. “Well...don’t work too hard.”

The door shut once more, and Thanatos stood alone in his office, massaging the bridge of his nose with his fingers. 

_ Blood and darkness...what did I do? _

He turned toward the window, peering down into the street. A car was waiting in front of the building. After a moment, he spotted Megaera and Zagreus coming out of the main entrance and getting into the vehicle. 

Thanatos sighed and closed the blinds, returning to his desk.

* * *

  
  


The atmosphere of the office began to change the day Zagreus started working for his father. Everyone who worked there already knew him as Hades’ son, and he had come by once or twice in the past. At first, he was given a position in the record-keeping department, which was primarily run by the shades. 

Nyx often told Thanatos of the numerous occasions when Hades would be down there himself, berating Zagreus for his poor performance. She tried to help him whenever she could, though there was never much she could offer to protect him from his father’s wrath. It quickly became such a regular occurrence that you could set your watch by the frequency of their arguments, which shook the whole floor. Thanatos recalled one such occasion when he was unlucky enough to witness their worst fight. He stood by the doorway, unable to tear his gaze off of the two fuming gods.

Zagreus was so fired up that he was burning holes in the floor, and his face was red enough to match his father’s furious gaze. He was claiming that if he was so useless at keeping records, that Hades should hurry up and put him someplace else, to put an end to these endless fights, if nothing else.

“You presume I enjoy your little tantrums, boy?” Hades spoke, his voice quiet, but livid all the same.

“At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was in my job description to clash with you every damn day!”

Thanatos knew what was coming before Hades reacted. With a thunderous crack, Zagreus was struck to the floor. The shades leapt from their stations and huddled on the opposite side of the room. Thanatos’ eyes widened, and he was struck with the urge to go to Zag and make sure he was alright.

But he didn’t move. He knew intervening would only make things worse. Instead, he forced himself to look away and started to venture further down the hall, far away from the records department. 

He found Zag later on in the men’s room. His nose and lip were both bleeding. Thanatos approached him slowly to offer his help.

“I don’t need your pity, Than.” he snapped, turning away.

“This isn’t pity.” he gently took Zag’s chin and turned it back to face him, pressing a damp cloth against his face to wipe the blood away.

Zag took the cloth from his hand, shrugging out of his grasp and leaning against the sink. Thanatos just stood by silently.

“It’s not like this is the first time he’s struck me,” he started to say, “So it isn’t as though I haven’t dealt with this before. At least my nose isn’t broken.”

“Not that it would stay broken for very long,” Thanatos quipped.

Zag shot him a glare. “Very funny. Who knew you had such a good sense of humor, Than?”

He knew he was only being defensive, and just didn’t want to admit how thoroughly thrashed his pride was at that moment. The wounds were only superficial, after all. 

“You know, should you ever need to, my door is always open.” Thanatos said without thinking.

Zagreus held the bloodied cloth in his hand, staring at him. “Pardon?”

“I just mean if you need a place to think...you can do so in my office.”

“That broom closet of yours?”

“A broom closet with just enough space for you.”

For a second, Than thought that Zag might get angry with him, or even throw a punch his way. But to his great surprise, he started laughing. Then he turned toward the sink and splashed his face with cold water, drying off with a paper towel.

“That sounds like quite an offer, Than. I may just take you up on that. Thank you.”

Than gave him a small smile. “Any time.”

“I should go...Father said if he caught me anywhere in the building, he’d send the Furies after me.”

Than followed him out of the men’s room. “I thought you got along with Meg, at least.”

“I do. But knowing Father, he would send Alecto. She’d love to kick my ass.”

After that final argument with Hades, Zagreus did mostly odd jobs around the office, stepping in whenever someone asked him. Occasionally, Thanatos himself offered him some work here and there, or they went together to visit nearby mortal villages. Six months passed, and then Zagreus came to Thanatos’ small office with news.

“Guess what, Than? You’re looking at the official liaison to Olympus.” his chest was puffed out like he was an overeager peacock, tempting a potential mate. 

Thanatos nodded in approval, leaning on one elbow. “Congratulations. Seems like your quarrel with your father is finally over.”

Zag leaned against the wall. “I wouldn’t bet money on that. But at least doing these dealings with my uncles in his place gets him off my back.”

It almost sounded like more grunt work, or something that would usually be Hermes’ game, but Zag seemed happy enough about it, and Thanatos wasn’t about to rain on his parade. 

Later on, Thanatos had to seek Nyx’s council in regards to this new development. He was happy that Zag was happy, but he was still confused as to how any of this came to be.

Nyx regarded him calmly when he posed his query to her. “I took the liberty of speaking to Athena on this matter. She took my news to Zeus, and eventually he made the offer to Hades directly. It seemed like a good way to give Zagreus a purpose, here, especially since you know how Hades feels about his brothers.”

“I see...I suppose I should be thanking you, then. I was rather concerned after...well, after the last time.” Than replied.

“There is no need. I only did what was necessary. Though, I am a little surprised that Hades did not think of this sooner.”

It was true; Hades never seemed overly thrilled with Zagreus hanging around the office, whether or not he was actually doing any work. But everyone knew that he had to be here. After the divorce, it wasn’t as though he could leave this realm to be with his mother. This was the only place he could go, despite Zag’s firm beliefs that one day he would go to his mother.

In any case, the only downside to Zagreus’ new position was that Thanatos saw less and less of him. More often than not, he was going to Olympus and staying there for weeks on end. It wasn’t long before Thanatos got used to his absence. 

Was that why his sudden appearances here and there started to annoy him? Or did he just miss the days when he would keep him company in his office, barely saying a word? 

Maybe he never grew accustomed to the change, and was uncertain how to deal with it.

Still...it was no excuse for his behavior. Of  _ course _ Zagreus wouldn’t stoop to thievery, especially not from Olympus. He would have been struck down by Zeus himself before he even made it back to the Styx. 

* * *

  
  


Dusk had fallen before Zagreus and Megaera returned. It was unlikely that they both went to Olympus together, so they must have had some other sort of business to attend to. Thanatos came across Meg first, lounging in the break area. 

Her dagger-like gaze was his first warning that something was wrong. He approached her cautiously.

“Alright, Than. No more bullshit. What did you do?” she turned to him, hands planted firmly on her hips.

“What are you talking about?”

“Zan has been mopey all damn day. We barely got our work done. He wasn’t like that until after he came to your office. So what happened?”

“Nothing happened. It was just a misunderstanding.”

Her perfectly shaped eyebrow arched. “A misunderstanding?”

The last thing he was going to do was admit his mistake to a Fury, knowing exactly how she’d react. “I intend to straighten things out with him, Meg. The sooner I find him, the sooner I can do that. Where is he?”

Meg sighed, tossing the end of her ponytail over her shoulder. “Probably in the gardens outside. He wanted to check on Cerberus before heading back up to the penthouse.”

“Right. Thank you.”

She stepped in front of him before he could leave. “You’d better fix this, Thanatos. I’m not working with him again if he’s going to be such a petulant child.”

Thanatos sidestepped her and pressed on, not dignifying her comment with a response. The gardens were the last holdout from Persephone’s time in Hades. Despite the messy ending, they were never removed from the premises, although they were not quite as well taken care of as they used to be. 

Though, it may have had more to do with Cerberus’ presence, rather than simple gardening neglect. His favorite spot was so well worn that grass no longer grew there. Thanatos found Zagreus giving one of the beast’s three heads an intense scratching. His sport coat was hanging on the nearby bench, and the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up.

“Who’s a good boy?” Zag crooned, “Who’s about to be out past their bedtime?”

The beast panted ecstatically, little grunts of contentment emerging from its mouth. Thanatos approached them slowly, but something told him that Zag already knew he was there.

“You’re here late,” he said, not turning around.

Than sighed. “Meg said I might find you out here.”

“And she was right.”

It irked him that Zag was playing this game with him, now, but he couldn’t really blame him for his behaviour. “I came to apologize for this afternoon, Zag.”

He still didn’t turn around, but he ceased petting Cerberus, who promptly put his head down on his paws. 

“I was out of line...I should never have accused you of stealing. I have no excuse for my behavior.”

Zagreus finally turned, but only to retrieve his sport coat, flinging it over one shoulder. “Right. Well, I’m glad we got that out of the way.”

He started to walk past Thanatos.

“Zag, wait. Please.”

He halted in his steps.

“I don’t expect you to forgive me for my wrongful accusation.” he continued, wanting Zagreus to at least look at him, “And also...I never thanked you properly for your gift.”

“Gods, Than, will you stop talking like that?”

He hesitated. “Like...like what?”

He turned around. “Like you’re speaking with my father. I get it, you’re sorry. You don’t have to stand on ceremony for me.”

“I’m only being clear in my intentions.”

Zag sighed in exasperation. “Right...you always are. Look, I’m sorry too...I lost my temper, and I was acting like a child.”

He came to stand in front of Than, and he could tell the prince was fighting the urge to hang his head, instead maintaining wary eye contact.

“So...are we okay?”

“I think we are.”

Thanatos sighed in relief. “You know, I haven’t opened that ambrosia yet. Would you care to join me for a night cap?”

A playful grin began to tug at Zagreus’ mouth, but he shook his head. “Thank you, but I should probably turn in. I have to be up early tomorrow. Rain check, okay?”

“Very well.”

The playful grin did not fade. Before Than knew what he was doing, Zag and closed the distance between them and briefly clasped his face, pressing his lips to his mouth.

“I mean it. Rain check.”

He hurried off before Than could react, leaving him standing in the garden in a state of utter bewilderment.


	2. The Question

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the start of the slow burn.

Zagreus didn’t exactly have pride in his current position, despite the importance of being the official liaison from Hades. He at least appreciated the fact that it kept him busy lately, and he had little time to dwell on his thoughts. A small mercy, if nothing more. Best of all, he didn’t have to spend more time around his father than was necessary to convey a message or two from Olympus. 

After a while, however, he had to admit that there were a few things he missed about being around the office all day. His father aside, Zag had a pretty good standing with everyone else that worked there. Now, he rarely got to see any of them. He seemed to be more familiar with the denizens of his uncles’ realm than his own.

Maybe that was why he felt he had to go out of his way to celebrate Thanatos’ new promotion. It may not have exactly gone over well...you know, initially...but in the end, it seemed to work out. He even started to miss the days when Than’s door was always open to him. True, he never exactly _rescinded_ that offer, but it just seemed different now that he was in a larger office on a higher floor.

A month or so passed without either of them seeing much of each other, due in large part to Zagreus being stuck on Olympus for the majority of that time. Things seemed rather quiet when he came back, which usually meant one of two things: it was either the calm before the storm, or for once, things were content in some modicum of peace. Either way, Zag had to report to his father before all was said and done. 

Meg was in the elevator with him as he rode up to the sixth floor. 

“I trust you enjoyed the finer things during your trip, Zag.” she said, arms crossed and leaning against the wall.

“I suppose. They certainly go out of their way to make me feel at home when I drop by.” he replied, “What floor?”

“Seventh. Have to have a meeting with my sisters.”

“Oof,” he pretended to cringe, “That nearly makes my meeting with Father somehow slightly more appealing.”

“Hmph.” she rolled her eyes as he pressed the buttons for their mutual floors.

The elevator moves, and for a few minutes, not a word passes between them. Zagreus straightened his tie, then noticed Meg was staring at him.

“Something on your mind?”

“I have to ask, Zag. When the gods put you up for the week, what kind of perks do they throw in?”

He glanced at her over his shoulder. “You mean aside from the room and board, and the occasional bottle of ambrosia?”

“Surely they lavish you with pleasurable company here and there?”

The corners of his mouth tug upward, resulting in a puzzled half-smile. “What brought this on, Meg?”

“I just notice you don’t seem to get around much while you’re here in Hades, or if you do,” Meg took a tentative step closer, “you are rather skilled in covering your tracks.”

Zag scoffed, turning back to face the elevator doors. “Direct, aren’t you? I’m sorry to disappoint you, but my trips to Olympus are strictly for business.”

The elevator comes to a halt on the sixth floor. Just before the doors opened, Zagreus felt Meg’s breath on his ear.

“What a pity.”

In his surprise, he nearly stumbled off the elevator, only catching himself in time to turn to Meg, who was still holding the elevator door open. He couldn’t find the words to question her, but judging by the smile she was giving him, he didn’t really need to.

“You know where I am, Zagreus,” she said, letting go of the elevator door, “Think about it.”

The one advantage to the absurdly long hallway leading to Hades’ office was that it gave Zagreus time to regain his composure, placing Meg’s suggestion on the back burner. He glanced into a hall mirror hanging over the decorative credenza in the hallway, just to make sure he wasn’t wearing his emotions so plainly for once; one thing he wished he had inherited from his father was his ability to don an impervious poker face. His suit was still straight, his hair was still in place, and his tie was knotted as it should be. 

Zag sighed, giving himself a resolute nod and heading toward the ever-imposing doorway leading to his father’s office. To his surprise, it had been left ajar, and he could hear voices coming from inside. Curiously, he halted to listen.

“It seems you have been continuing to perform adequately since your promotion, Thanatos. The transition appears to be running smoothly.” 

That was his father, no question. The second voice surprised him.

“It didn’t take me as long to settle into a familiar rhythm as I thought.” Thanatos responded.

“I expect this to continue then.”

“Of course, sir.”

Zagreus laid a tentative hand on the door. He couldn’t help but smirk, lest he allowed himself to laugh. _You seem surprised, Father. You knew Thanatos was up to the challenge, otherwise you wouldn’t have even entertained the idea of promoting him_. 

“Right then...where is that blasted boy? He’s late.”

Taking his cue, Zagreus pushed open the door and stepped inside. “You called?”

Hades stared hard at his son from behind his desk. Thanatos was seated in front of him, one leg crossed over the other. His expression, as he turned to see Zagreus, was neutral, as always. But as he approached the desk, Zag could see a certain glint in his eye that said he was glad to see him. 

“You’re five minutes late.” Hades said, folding his arms in his chest.

“Meg needed to speak with me,” Zag replied, “But I do have news from Poseiden, if you’re interested.”

His father’s thick eyebrows raised ever so slightly. “Indeed?”

“He’s managed to quell that surge of storms. With his continued effort, the ecosystem for that half of the continent should flourish within the next year. It should end the nearby cities’ worries of a food shortage, for now.”

“Is that all?”

He got the distinct feeling his father only heard half of what he just said. “I wouldn’t take it so lightly, Father. I watched the whole ordeal myself. A good deal of the coast was impacted by the hurricanes.”

Hades blinked slowly, then his glance flitted toward Thanatos. “What do you make of that?”

Flipping through his notes, Thanatos replied, “These recent numbers line up with what Zagreus has told us...many of the souls I have delivered to Charon have been drowned...or in some cases, crushed by debris.” he glanced up, “By my calculations, the next hundred or so souls will result directly from these events, even after Poseiden has stopped them.”

“And you’re so certain of these calculations, are you?”

“I am, my lord.”

Zagreus smiled when Hades looked back at him. The expression was not reciprocated. 

“Very well...when is your next scheduled trip to Olympus, then?”

“A few weeks from now. Hermes is supposed to deliver the details by week’s end.”

Leaning back in his chair, Hades waved his hand. “Then you are both excused.”

Thanatos stood as Zagreus stepped back, then together they walked out of Hades’ office toward the elevator. Zagreus watched Than walking, pin straight posture like he was a soldier. It nearly made him laugh.

“I guess it makes you feel better knowing my father is pleased with you.” he said to him, pressing the call button for the elevator.

“Feel better? Not exactly. He had no reason to doubt me in the first place.”

If Zag didn’t know any better, he would have interpreted Than’s statement as arrogance. “Apparently he had some reason, if he called you up here just to ensure you were doing your job, Than.”

The elevator chimed as it halted on their floor, and they both stepped in once the doors opened. At the other end of the hallway, Hades’ door was completely shut.

“A change in locale wouldn’t have affected my job performance.” Than looked at him, “I’d say you can attest to that yourself, as your location changes constantly.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Zag shrugged, “It would be more accurate to say that I bounce between Hades and Olympus constantly.”

That earned him a rare chuckle from Than as they exited onto the fifth floor. “Yes, I suppose it would be.”

The setting sun bathed the hallway in a reddish-golden light. Zagreus hadn’t realized how much time had passed since he returned from Olympus. 

Thanatos halted by his office door, hand poised over the doorknob. “Zag...would you be interested in sharing some of that ambrosia with me?”

“Huh? Oh…well, since you’re offering,” he grinned.

He followed Than into his office, taking a moment to pause and look around to see if anything had changed since the last time he was in here. He was only mildly disappointed to find little different, but was able to satiate his curiosity by sitting on the couch, finding it more comfortable than it actually looked. He leaned back, crossing one leg over the other, watching Than retrieve the ambrosia from the liquor cabinet, along with two short glasses. The seal on the top of the bottle hadn’t been broken...did he really wait to share it with him?

Twisting off the cap, Than poured a small amount in each glass, glancing at Zagreus. “What’s with the surprised expression?”

“Nothing...I just thought you would have broken into that by now.”

“As I recall, you did ask for a rain check.”

“Well yeah, but...oh, nevermind.” 

Than handed Zag one of the glasses, toasting him and leaning against his desk. Zag stared into his glass before taking a sip. He normally didn’t indulge in the stuff himself, preferring to give any bottle he received to others around the office, but he had to admit that the flavor definitely agreed with him. At first, he couldn’t quite place it; it was mildly smoky with a mild sweetness that sat on his tongue and travelled down his throat. Then, he glanced at Thanatos taking a sip from his own glass, and as soon as the ambrosia touched his lips, he figured out what it was he was tasting. Was Than tasting something similar? Or had he even thought about it?

Zagreus felt his face grow hot. He quickly looked away, holding the glass in his hand and swirling the ambrosia around.

“Something on your mind?”

He felt Thanatos’ eyes on him, but wouldn’t meet his gaze. He shook his head silently. He knew Than wouldn’t press the matter. Instead he tried to distract himself, inadvertently recalling Meg’s offer from earlier.

_You know where I am._

“Zag...your face is almost as red as your feet.”

He set his glass down, rubbing his face with his hands, as though it would fix the issue. “I have to ask you something, Than.”

Thanatos didn’t respond.

“So...on my way upstairs earlier, I was talking to Meg.”

“Yes, you mentioned that.”

“Right. But you see, I think she was making a pass at me.”

He looked up to catch Thanatos’ surprised expression - it was subtle, but his eyes had widened ever so slightly.

“Not sure why, really. She’s never expressed any interest in me before...at least, not sexually.”

Than set his glass down on the desk and came to stand in front of him. “I see. So what is it you want to ask me?”

“Well, Meg doesn’t seem like someone who would want to be in a relationship. Do you think that this would be a one-time thing? I mean, if I decided to accept her offer.”

Thanatos took a moment to reply, appearing to be thinking it over. Zag watched him just to see if he could predict what he was going to say. It was sometimes frustrating that he was so good at keeping a neutral expression, but...for just a second, his mouth seemed to twitch.

“Given what I know about Meg, I would think that this would likely be an isolated event. But I think the real question is whether or not you actually want to...sleep with her.”

Zag rested his arms on the back of the couch. “I’m just not sure.”

Giving a subtle shrug of his shoulders, Than came to sit on the couch next to him. “Well, I wouldn’t do anything unless you are certain.”

“I guess.” he sighed, “Sorry, Than. I know that was kind of awkward. I don’t mean to put this on you, but...well, I don’t think there’s anyone else I could really talk to about this.”

“I understand.”

Zag took his glass and passed it between his hands, feeling as though he was making things awkward. He wasn’t sure, but Than didn’t seem as willing to discuss this with him as he’d hoped. 

“Come on, Than, say something.”

“I’m not sure what you want me to say.”

He looked at him. Than’s eyes were closed and his arms were crossed. 

“Am I making you uncomfortable?”

“Of course not.”

Zag groaned, draining the rest of his ambrosia. Again, he was reminded of the taste of the kiss he’d stolen from Than the last time they saw each other. Yes, that was _certain_ to bring clarity. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

“You don’t have to apologize.”

His hand clenched around his empty glass. Than could deny it all he wanted, but Zag could tell he was uncomfortable. 

“Listen, Zag, you know you can talk to me about anything. I don’t mean to be difficult. I just don’t have a lot to offer you in terms of advice. I guess I’ve never been propositioned like that before...especially not by a Fury.”

“Yeah...maybe I would have been less confused if she was more subtle in her approach. But you know Meg; she’s always very direct.”

“To be fair, so are you.”

Zag glanced over to see that Than had opened his eyes again. “Me? I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”

“Perhaps not as much as her, but honestly, you aren’t good at being subtle.”

“Come on, I’m _way_ better at being subtle than Meg. Definitely better than you.”

Their eyes locked. Now they were getting somewhere.

“I could be subtle if I wanted. I just prefer to speak plainly, that way there is no room for a misunderstanding. I can’t exactly afford to mince words.”

Zagreus nodded knowingly, standing up. “Sure, Than.”

“You don’t believe me?”

“Of course I do. To be honest, I prefer you being straight with me. You don’t just tell me what I want to hear.”

“You wouldn’t learn anything if I did.”

He laughed, feeling the confusion he had been feeling fading away. Perhaps it was the ambrosia finally kicking in, but the question came bursting forth before he could stop himself. “Then let me ask you this...if I was to proposition you, would you prefer me be direct or subtle?”

Thanatos’ eyes widened, flitting to meet Zagreus’, then away again. “I...what?”

“You heard me.”

The telltale golden flush started to creep onto his face. “Are you actually asking me this?”

“Just a hypothetical, Than.”

He scoffed. “I’m not so sure I should dignify that with an answer.”

Zagreus shrugged. It was worth a try. But it was always too easy to get Than riled up. He figured he had bothered him long enough, and started to head for the door. “Thanks for the drink, Than. I’ll leave you to it.”

He hadn’t gotten far when he felt Thanatos gently grasp his wrist. He turned in surprise, especially since he hadn’t even heard him get up from the couch. 

“Than?”

“You aren’t giving me a chance to pose this hypothetical to you, Zag. Would you prefer me be subtle if I were to proposition you?”

Thanatos’ hand was warm against his skin. “Well...Than, I think we’re talking in circles now. But it really depends.”

“On what?”

Zag’s voice dropped to a whisper, and he couldn’t look Than in the eye. “On how far you wanted to go with me.”


	3. The Rumors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who doesn't enjoy a healthy does of pining, jealousy, and your main characters not acting on their fucking desires?

Once again, Thanatos was left in a state of utter bewilderment after an encounter with Zagreus. Of course, the biggest difference is that he was pretty certain it was all  _ his _ doing this time. After Zag had given him such an open response to his “hypothetical” proposition, Than found himself acting on impulse. 

Letting go of his wrist, Than approached him slowly and leaned forward to kiss him, intending on leaving a fairly innocent peck on his lips, but Zag put a hand on his shoulder and reciprocated. Surprisingly, he allowed Than to slip his tongue into his mouth. He could taste the ambrosia, and for a moment, Than could taste the flavor Zag must have gotten, mixing with his own.

Shouldn’t the ambrosia only have one flavor?

He clasped Zagreus’ face in his hands and deepened the kiss, receiving a soft moan from him. 

Then he let him go, stepping back and wiping his mouth. His whole body was begging him to take him again, but Than managed to shake the impulse off. Zag just stood there, mildly confused.

“Than?”

He cleared his throat. “I think...I think that’s as far as we should go. For now.”

Zagreus stared at him for a moment, then gave him a rather unconvincing smirk. “So then we may pick this up another time?”

Running a hand through his hair, he took a deep breath. “Perhaps.”

“Well, at least I’ll know what to expect.”

Zagreus turned to leave finally, albeit reluctantly. Thanatos, equally as reluctant, let him go. He couldn’t focus on anything else until he went into the bathroom and splashed his face with cold water. It only helped a little bit. 

What had he done? Zagreus came to him for advice, and instead he had taken advantage of his vulnerability. 

But he had reciprocated. That meant that Zag wanted him to kiss him, right?

He buried his face in a hand towel to dry off, groaning in frustration. Now he was questioning his own reasoning for acting on his impulse. It wasn’t as though he had drunk enough of his ambrosia for it to affect him, setting aside the fact that they both had a fairly high tolerance for alcohol. But when Zagreus had told him about Meg offering herself to him in the elevator, he felt something he didn’t think he  _ could _ feel.

Jealousy.

It was ridiculous. What did he have to be jealous of? Meg had not actually done anything, and it wasn’t as though Zagreus was beholden to either of them. 

Thanatos had to bury himself in his work just to push the feeling down. He didn’t see much of Zagreus after that, and he purposely avoided the seventh floor, just to ensure he wouldn’t run into Megaera. He didn’t want her to pick up on his inner turmoil. Instead, he focused on all of the incoming souls from the coast, which were still arriving at a steady pace. After he was finished, at least enough to let Charon take over ferrying the souls down the river, he had to go for a walk around the office.

Eventually, his steps took him all the way to the gardens on the first floor. Cerberus was absent, leaving his area of long-dead grass bare aside from a few stray clumps of blood-red fur. The solar powered garden lanterns glowed softly in the darkness, giving Thanatos enough light to see as he lost himself in the hedge maze. 

Given his nature, he had to at least try to think about this situation logically. He and Zagreus had always gotten along rather well. When Zag was much younger, they would sneak off to Tartarus and battle the wretches that inhabited the desolate place, attempting to see who could get the most kills. At that age, it was Zag’s preferred method of venting his frustrations with his father. Thanatos was always willing to oblige. It became exciting for him to see just how strong of a warrior he was becoming. 

Once he started working at the office, there was less time to go to Tartarus, and Thanatos became more focused on his job. On a certain level, he was hopeful that setting an example would inspire Zagreus to gain more pride in his own position, especially after he became the official liaison. 

But learning that Zagreus came straight to him for advice most of the time made Than realize that somewhere along the way, he had grown to care for him. 

They had some sort of relationship, that much was clear. But then why did he feel so threatened by the mere suggestion of someone else being interested in Zagreus?

Jealousy was an unfamiliar emotion to Than, but it took no time at all for him to despise the way it made him feel. He didn’t wish to bear anyone any ill will. 

Thanatos stopped at the entrance to the hedge maze after walking the entire length of it. Finally, he began to feel tired. It was time for him to sleep this off. 

* * *

  
  


“Have you heard the latest rumors going around?”

Thanatos glanced up from his desk at Hypnos, who was busy perusing the bookshelves. He wasn’t exactly paying attention to the titles on the book spines. It looked like he was just trying to keep his hands busy.

“What?”

“You mean you haven’t…? Oh, of course not,” Hypnos grinned at him, “You’re always so busy, aren’t you?”

“Hypnos, what are you talking about?”

“The rumor about Zag and Meg, of course.”

Than’s pen froze in his hand mid sentence as he wrote out his latest report. “...What about them?”

“Hermes seems to think they’re together.”

Thanatos set his pen down, leaning back in his chair. He had only seen Zag a few times before his most recent trip to Olympus, but nothing really seemed out of the ordinary. In fact, things felt pretty normal, especially after their kiss. 

Hypnos had taken one of the books off the shelves, flipping through it aimlessly. Whatever the rumor,  _ he _ didn’t seem to put much stock in it.

“I hesitate to ask, but what would Hermes know of the goings on in this realm?” Thanatos asked his brother carefully, hoping his voice sounded as even as he felt it did.

Hypnos shrugged. “Well, he came to deliver some messages from Olympus this morning. You know him, he loves to talk. I just happened to be around when he did.”

“I find it bothersome that a god of his standing would so willingly indulge in idle gossip.”

“So, you don’t think there’s any merit to it?”

“Is there ever any merit to gossip, Hypnos?”

His brother’s normally sleepy gaze turned toward him, blinking slowly. “Well, I guess not...but I mean, Zagreus has been back for a few days now...I haven’t seen him.”

He had a point...Than hadn’t seen much of him either. Megaera had been around, but she had not been acting out of the ordinary. 

“I wouldn’t give it much thought, Hypnos. I doubt either of them would appreciate anyone making assumptions about them.”

His brother seemed satisfied with his response. Thanatos just wished he could convince himself. 

When he finally saw Zagreus again, things became even more muddled. It wasn’t odd to find him in the sparring area on the third floor; he often trained with Achilles there. But Achilles was absent today, leaving Zagreus practicing by himself. He didn’t turn around when Thanatos entered.

“Hello Zag,” he said.

Zagreus whirled around, hefting Styius over one shoulder. “Oh! Than...I didn’t hear you come in.”

“I trust I’m not interrupting.”

“Oh, no...not really.” he chuckled.

He gave the prince a small smile. “How was your trip to Olympus?”

Zag turned away, swinging Stygius down, cutting through an invisible enemy. “Uneventful.”

“I suppose anything after Poseiden taming the seas would be.”

“Mmm.”

Thanatos stared at him. Usually Zagreus would be taking the initiative here and talking his ear off, but he wasn’t even looking at him now. 

“Do you want to spar? I can get changed.” he offered.

Zagreus stopped, shaking his head. “Sorry, I’m about finished for the day. Actually, I was just killing time before meeting with my father.”

It was a flimsy excuse, even for him. Thanatos decided to play along. “I didn’t realize he had summoned you.”

“He likes to catch me off guard.”

“Maybe you’d care for a drink, later?” Than took a step forward, switching tactics, “I still have some of that ambrosia left.”

“Ah...maybe another time.” 

Concerned, Thanatos watched Zagreus take his weapon back to its designated place on the adjacent wall. He was walking fast, chewing on his bottom lip. Then after replacing Stygius on the wall, he just stood there, unsure of what to do. 

That was when Thanatos saw the mark on the back of his neck. It turned out to be the first of many, trailing down his back. Than couldn’t help but stare, even though he knew he shouldn’t. It was too late to look away when Zagreus caught him. 

Hastily, he snatched his shirt off the ground and pulled it over his head, then stormed past Than before he could say anything. 

There was a cold pit in his stomach after he left. It shouldn’t have confirmed anything, but Thanatos knew that those weren’t simply ordinary bruises. Shaking his head, he attempted to follow Zag out of the sparring area, but he disappeared down the hallway.

It finally happened. For the first time in a long time, Thanatos could not seem to focus on his work. He had been sitting at his desk for the last few hours, staring at his half finished report. All he could think about was the bruises on Zagreus’ body, and how he had been so eager to get away from him. 

_ This proves nothing _ , he thought angrily, clenching his pen in his hand,  _ Hermes shouldn’t be spreading baseless rumors. That’s all it is.  _

His own fury shocked him. One kiss between them did not justify Than being so possessive of Zagreus. But he couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if they had gone further that day. Would he still have gone to Meg and taken her up on her offer?

If, of course, that was really what happened.

A sharp crack pulled him out of his thoughts. The pen had broken in his hand, drenching his palm with black ink. Cursing, he stood up and tossed the broken implement in the trash, then marched into the bathroom to wash the ink off. 

He glared at himself in the mirror. He could not afford to spend all of his time brooding over this nonsense. Zagreus could do whatever he liked. It should not concern him in the least.

Than just didn’t want to admit how much it hurt him. 

* * *

  
  


“I’m disappointed in you, Thanatos.”

Than stood in front of Hades’ desk as his lord’s burning eyes scanned his latest report. 

“It is not like you to turn in such sloppy work.”

He fought to remain neutral of expression, keeping his back straight and his hands at his sides. “I have no excuse. However, I have begun to rewrite the whole thing. I will have something for you by the end of the day.”

Hades looked at him, setting the report down. “...No. You have until the end of this week. I will not accept a rushed report again.”

“Yes, sir. I understand.”

Hades dismissed him with a wave of his hand. Gratefully, Thanatos took his leave. He got the distinct feeling that the lord of the underworld didn’t necessarily believe him when he said he was redoing his report already, but Thanatos rarely lied to save his own skin. He knew he was giving him insufficient work, and immediately started another draft just to lessen the guilt in his poor performance.

At least Hades didn’t seem to have an idea of why Thanatos had been so distracted. He doubted it would have made things easier had he known there was a sudden rift between himself and Zagreus - in the worst case scenario, Zagreus would likely have been chewed out over it before Thanatos was.

Before returning to his office, he went down to the break room. Taking a glass of nectar, he settled at a table and brooded in silence. 

Zagreus had not been summoned to Olympus in the recent weeks, so he had been restlessly wandering around the office. Thanatos had noticed him in passing, because of course, Zag still wouldn’t so much as look at him. He had to force himself not to imagine what he was doing in his spare time instead of coming to visit him in his office.

He heard footsteps approaching him, but he didn’t look up from his glass. 

“Well, I was going to offer you some of this, but I guess you already have a drink.”

Than couldn’t hide the surprise on his face when he looked up to see Megaera standing there, a large bottle of ambrosia in one hand.

“Can I join you, at least?”

He nodded silently, watching her take the seat across from him. 

“Not that I’m assuming anything, but I saw you moping in here and thought you’d like some company.” she said, twisting the cap off the bottle and taking a swig for herself, forgoing the use of a glass.

Normally, Thanatos would have denied it, but he just couldn’t find the energy. They sat and drank in silence for a few minutes, an unspoken truth hovering between them. Finally, Meg set the bottle down and knitted her hands beneath her chin, staring directly at him. 

“Alright,” she said, “Look Than, you can stop acting ignorant. I know that you know about me and Zag.”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course you don’t. In fairness, you are very good at hiding your feelings. Zagreus, on the other hand, is an open book.”

It wasn’t hard to figure out what she meant. She clearly noticed Zag’s behavior toward him lately.

“So that ambrosia is, what, an offering of affection?”

Meg frowned. “Is that a joke?”

Than glanced up from his nectar. “Excuse me…?”

“I get that you’re probably pissed at me, but that’s no reason to start shit with me, Thanatos. I’m really not in the mood.”

He reared back defensively. “I would not lower myself to a petty squabble with you, especially when I have no reason to insert myself into your situation.”

The fire in the Fury’s glare gradually petered out. “Wait...you don’t know?”

“Don’t know what?” he snapped.

Setting the ambrosia down, Meg tossed her hair over her shoulder and sighed. “You don’t...I see. Than, Zagreus and I aren’t seeing each other anymore.” she gestured to the bottle, “This was an apology. Or at least as much of one as he could muster.”

Thanatos blinked, uncertain he heard her correctly. “...an apology?”

She took another drink before continuing. “He chose to end things. Rather abruptly, actually.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Honestly, I don’t either.” she admitted, “I made it clear the first night he came to me that this was nothing concrete, and he wasn’t my lover or anything like that. He seemed fine with that. Between you and me, I think he just accepted my offer to vent his frustrations about you.”

“Me?” he became defensive once more.

Meg held up her hands. “My fault, poor choice of words. I don’t think Zag really knew  _ what _ he was venting until our last time together…” she pursed her lips, glancing off to the side, “He sort of...called out your name.”

The heat rushed to Thanatos’ face so quickly it almost made him dizzy. But he couldn’t feel flattered by that, because it was painfully clear by Meg’s tone that Zag had not meant to say his name.

“After that, he pushed me away and left my chambers.” she replaced the cap on the bottle, “I tried to confront him about it today, but he would barely let me get a word in before he shoved this into my hands. I tried to tell him he didn’t do anything wrong-”

“Meg,” Than interjected, “Why are you telling me this?”

“Aside from revelling in your discomfort?” she smirked.

“I imagine Zag wouldn’t want me to know any of this.”

“Maybe that’s his problem. It’s pretty obvious he’s not interested in casual sex. Just like he’s extremely into you, Than.”

He pushed his glass away and ran a hand through his hair. This was all too much to take in at once. Perhaps it was a small mercy that Hades gave him a whole week to rewrite his report. Any modicum of focus he could have dedicated to it was long gone now.

“As for why I’m telling you, well...you and I have been colleagues for a while now. You’re right that this probably shouldn’t be coming from me in the first place, but out of respect, I thought you should know. Whatever you decide to do now is on you.” clutching the bottle, she stood up from the table.

* * *

  
  


Before making his way to the fifth floor, Zagreus spent a few hours leaning against Cerberus. The infernal creature didn’t seem to mind that he wasn’t actually petting him, content with resting its three heads on his paws while Zag buried his face in his fur.

He guessed that he should be thankful for Megaera letting him down easy. He had been dreading for a while that she would lose her temper if he even hinted that he wasn’t interested in her anymore. Or at least, she would lambast him for calling out another name while she was going down on him.

He clenched Cerberus’ fur in his fists, groaning. Even for his limited experiences, Zag knew that calling out another name was a sexual faux paus. It didn’t help that rumors were circling about the two of them; it definitely soured the experience for both of them. He dreaded the thought of those rumors reaching Thanatos’ ears. But of course, when he saw the marks Meg had left on him, he saw the look of disbelief on Than’s face and knew for certain that it was too late.

Zag didn’t want to push him away. He wanted to explain himself, but he just couldn’t muster the courage. He was embarrassed and ashamed, especially after coming onto him weeks earlier. What was Than supposed to think of him after all of this?

If he had been summoned to Olympus, this could have been avoided a little longer.

Cerberus had finally had enough of his weight on his head, and bucked him off with a huff. Zag straightened up, shaking his head and wiping the stray fur off his face. “Alright, I get it.”

Wallowing in his own misery had run its course. He had to at least come clean to Thanatos. Straightening his sport coat, he headed inside. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, these last two chapters are coming in rather quick succession (no pun intended). Long story short, I'm going back to work after a long holiday weekend and I want to write as much as I can before that. I hope everyone is still enjoying the story!


	4. The Catharsis

The building was starting to empty for the day. Zagreus wound up riding the elevator by himself. Aside from Thanatos’ office, the fifth floor was practically uninhabited. It wasn’t as though his father was dolling out promotions left and right. 

Walking down the hallway, he absentmindedly brushed at the sleeves of his sport coat - it was still peppered with Cerberus’ fur. Finally, he just decided to take it off and drape it over one arm. Coming upon Thanatos’ office door, he paused. 

What if he wasn’t in there?

He steeled his nerves; he just had to knock. His sharp taps against the wood seemed to echo throughout the hallway.

A few seconds went by before he got a response.

“Come in.”

Zagreus hesitated, then grasped the doorknob and pushed the door open. He was surprised to find Than seated on the couch, rather than behind his desk. Their eyes met, and he froze with his hand on the door.

“Hello, Than…”

Than sat up. “Zagreus? I didn’t know you were still here.”

“I was hoping to talk to you...you’re not busy, are you?”

“Of course not. Please come in.”

Zag shut the door behind him, but didn’t venture further into the room, choosing instead to lean against the door itself. The whole way here, he had thought up at least five different ways to get this conversation started, but now he was at a complete loss for words.

“Zag, are you alright?”

For some reason, the genuine concern in Than’s voice stung. “Not exactly. You know what happens when I have few things to keep me occupied.” he rubbed the back of his neck, almost pinching himself to get to the point, “But I haven’t been...terribly myself lately, either. Look, Than, what I’m trying to say is I want to apologize for...for how I’ve been treating you.”

Thanatos sighed. But it was too _knowing_ of a sigh.

“You...oh gods, you already know, don’t you?”

“I’m afraid so.”

Zag slumped against the door. 

“Zag, look at me.”

Reluctantly, he obeyed. Than stood up and came up to him; he didn’t look angry, or even that upset, or at least not in the way Zagreus was anticipating.

“I think we’ve both done a little more apologizing to each other than actually talking,” he told him, “And rather than dance around the subject, maybe it would be better if we addressed it directly.”

Than placed a hand on Zag’s arm. He straightened up and came to rest his forehead against Than’s, shutting his eyes. “I slept with Meg...a couple of times. But I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

He felt the heat rising in Than’s face. The knowledge that he already knew pretty much everything made Zag reluctant to mention the last part. Although, it didn’t seem as though Than minded him skipping over it.

“I’ve always really liked you, Than. You’ve always been there for me. If I’ve ever been, well, _overly_ flirtatious, it wasn’t...it wasn’t meaningless.” he stepped back, but didn’t pull away, “I really wasn’t sure how you felt, and...well. I guess things got a bit muddled, so to speak.”

“That’s putting it mildly.” Thanatos replied, “I’ve never exactly been very forthcoming myself. I always thought you preferred me to listen to you, rather than to actively seek me out for advice. After your last blowout with your father, I just assumed you felt safer with me.”

Zag chuckled. “It isn’t far from the truth. Up until our mutual promotions, it was less hectic in your broom closet. Truth be told, I kind of miss your old office.”

Thanatos shook his head in mock disbelief. “Unbelievable. I’m given a larger space with an expensive sofa, and you prefer and eight-by-ten that barely had room for the box you sat on.”

“I’m complicated, Than.”

He rolled his eyes. “I think we’re getting off topic, here. My point is that after all the time we spent together, I truly grew to care for you. I just...didn’t realize how strongly I did until someone else expressed interest in you.” Before Zag could notice the flush in his cheeks, he let go of his arm and turned away, “...that sounds horrible.”

Leaning against his desk, Than rubbed his forehead with his hand. “I never thought myself capable of a jealous streak.”

“Jealous? Of Meg?” Zagreus crossed the room.

“Not _of_ her specifically. Just...the fact that she had been with you.” An odd expression came over his face, just for a second, before he seemingly forced it away, “Zag, I told myself that it wasn’t my place to be thinking such things. You are precious to me...really, you are. But I don’t own you.” he looked back at him, “Had you chosen to be with Meg, I wasn’t going to step in and talk you out of it. I wanted to support you, but then I saw those marks on your back, and...”

It was Zagreus’ turn to blush. 

“I really didn’t know how to approach it delicately, and you were avoiding me, so...I left it alone.”

“And here we are.” Zag grinned sheepishly, “Well, at least we made it here eventually.”

He came to lean on the desk next to Than. After a moment, he took Zag’s hand and laced their fingers together, turning toward him. Their faces were mere inches apart, but Than was hesitant to go in for a kiss like he had intended.

“Trying to pick up where we left it last time?” Zag encouraged.

“If you’d stop talking for a minute.”

Zagreus opened his mouth to retort - as Thanatos anticipated - but was silenced before he could. He half expected to be shoved into the desk, but Thanatos steadied him by snaking his free arm around his waist. Zag reciprocated gratefully, losing himself in the softness of Than’s lips. He had come into that office fully expecting to catch Than in one of the rare moments where he allowed himself to be angry, not wrapped in his arms.

All of their roundabout spats and flirting had finally led them to a blessed moment of catharsis, and Zagreus clung to Thanatos, never wanting the moment to end.

  
  


A week had barely gone by before Megaera finally caught up with Zagreus, despite his best efforts to avoid her. She was more annoyed by _that_ than anything else, or so she informed him once she had him cornered in an empty hallway.

“Seriously, Zag, after all we’ve been through, the least you can do is look me in the eye when you apologize - not that you really needed to in the first place - and damn you, give me a chance to respond! Don’t just go running off like a child!” she snapped.

“Seven hells, Meg, if I didn’t know any better, I’d swear you were still angry with me!” he replied.

She crossed her arms. “You’re lucky your little token of attrition went down so easily.”

“Oh, you liked the ambrosia?”

“I’m not about to turn up my nose to such a rarity. Although, I should commend you for turning over the contraband, in any case.” Meg stepped back, allowing Zagreus to move more freely from his spot, “I take it you and Than finally talked things out?”

“What makes you say that?”

She shook her head. “As if your amicable mood of late wasn’t proof enough. You know, I’m really surprised you two never hit it off sooner. You both have such a talent for being broody little ingrates.”

He smirked. “Harsh, Meg.”

* * *

  
  


After what seemed like an eternity, Zagreus was finally given a date for his next trip to Olympus. Normally, he would have been ecstatic over the opportunity to leave Hades for an extended period, but now he had a legitimately good reason for sticking around. Still, he reminded himself of the importance of his task, and made the necessary preparations nonetheless, lest his father get on his case. 

Of course, that didn’t stop him from attempting to pull Thanatos away from his work for a few moments each day, just to prepare himself for their time apart. More often than not, Zag didn’t have to try very hard. They kept things relatively low key, hoping to avoid another rumor starting. Although, Meg was of the opinion that everyone had already suspected for some time now. The only reason _their_ tryst had become the subject of gossip was because it was so off brand for the both of them.

While walking through the first floor gardens or sparring together were what they did most often, Zagreus couldn’t help but try to steal Thanatos away someplace more discreet. At first, Than seemed a little reluctant, mainly because he didn’t find the fear of possibly being caught as thrilling as Zag did, but it soon became clear that Zag was good at finding hiding places that even _he_ didn’t know about.

“I’m almost afraid to ask how you do this,” he mumbled into Zagreus’ collar as he loosened his tie. They were secluded in the back of an old, mostly unused file storage room.

“I have my methods,” Zag boasted, stroking the back of Than’s head.

The two of them never went much further than kissing, although some encounters did end with them both ensuring their collars covered any marks they had left on the other’s neck. But during the last week before his next stint in Olympus, they both grew more adventurous in their pursuits.

Thanatos in particular was becoming just a bit more forward in his advances. Zag could tell he didn’t exactly want to overstep, but he encouraged him nonetheless. However, he was caught off guard just a bit when Than settled himself between Zag’s thighs. He gently pushed him back so he was leaning on the couch, then he started undoing the buttons of his shirt, exposing the rise and fall of his chest.

The telltale golden ichor flush was apparent as he started at Zagreus’ collarbone, pressing his lips to his bare flesh. Zagreus shivered at the feeling of Than’s hands sliding down his abdomen.

“Than, I…” he could barely speak, “What if someone comes in?”

“The door is locked.” he muttered against his chest.

“Are...are you sure you want to do this?” not that he really wanted to give Than the opportunity to choose otherwise.

Than’s golden eyes peered up into his mismatched ones. “Would you prefer me stop here?”

The deep rumble in his voice caused Zag to break out in goosebumps. “I don’t think I’ll ever forgive you if you do.” he told him, his face as blood red as his undone tie. 

By the time Thanatos had worked his way down to his abdomen, he had already unbuckled the leather laurel belt, tugging his pants past his hips. Zag’s head went back, pushing his hair out of his eyes with one hand and stroking Than’s with the other.

If there was one thing Zag had learned in his experiences, it was that he wasn’t exactly quiet. He never really worried about it before, but then past times he and his partner were someplace more private. It was already difficult to keep from sighing at his tongue tracing a circle around his navel.

“Th-Than…”

Thanatos raised his head briefly, running his fingers along Zag’s shaft. “I won’t go too far if you don’t want me to.”

The prince’s eyes were wanton. “Please don’t stop.”

When Than finally took Zagreus in his mouth, Zag had to bite down on his finger, the moan he tried to stifle born out of anticipation, while the following one came from the heat of Thanatos’ tongue. Despite the knowledge that the door was locked, Zag’s gaze kept flitting in that direction, as though someone were about to walk in. Than’s moderate pace drew his focus back where it belonged. He thought he might break the skin on his finger if he clenched his jaw any harder.

He finally relented to merely covering his mouth with his hand, clenching the arm of the sofa with the other. He couldn’t push down on Than’s head to make him go faster; he couldn’t let it end so quickly, despite his stamina ensuring that he would be ready again in a matter of minutes. Zag then realized that Than wasn’t trying to cause him to be spent so soon, not when each touch was so deliberate, to the point where only his tongue was tracing the tip, his hands alone working the shaft.

“Than…!”

His eyes were half closed, only the slivers of his irises visible through his silver lashes. It was then that Zag noticed his own shirt had come unbuttoned, his abdomen clenched as he sat on his knees.

The building pressure caused him to throw his head back once more. Thanatos joined him on the sofa to finish him with his hand, swallowing Zag’s final moans in a kiss as he came. When Than finally released him, Zag hid away in the nape of his neck, licking and nibbling at his skin.

Soon after, they abandoned the sofa in favor of the bathroom, eagerly shedding the remainder of their clothes and shielding themselves behind the sliding glass door of the shower. Before turning the water on, Thanatos confessed how thankful he was that there was no one directly above his office, taking away Zagreus’ fears of being heard. 

Zagreus took the opportunity to explore Thanatos’ body as he never imagined he would. The elder god kept him trapped in a kiss and allowed his hands to wander, biting his bottom lip when Zag’s nails raked over his skin. The water was as hot as they could both stand when Than finally turned Zag around to press him against the slick wall, pulling his hips toward him. 

Zag’s head leaned against his arm, watching as Than used his fingers to prep him. His wet silver hair was stuck to his face. He had never touched him like this before, but it was as though he already knew Zag’s body so well. 

“I’ll go mad if you keep this up…” Zagreus pleaded. 

Clutching his hips, Than affixed him with a look Zag had never seen in his eyes before, easing himself inside. Than’s eyes reflected so much wanting, it nearly matched his own. Once he was deep enough, he started fucking the prince slowly, burying his face in his black hair. It was most encouraging that Than’s voice breathed his name into his ear. Despite him proving to be quieter by comparison, it still made him ache for more.

Zagreus voiced his pleasure much more freely. Eventually they shifted positions so they could face each other, and Zag clasped Than’s face in his hands.

“You’re so beautiful, Than…” he kissed Than’s forehead.

Than pulled his chin down to graze his bottom lip with his teeth. “Do you really mean that?”

He shot him a playful grin. “Do you really think I’d lie to you right now?”

It was almost funny how much deeper Than could possibly blush in that moment. Zag watched his reactions as he attempted to think of some kind of reply. After a minute, he gave up and buried his face in the nape of Zag’s neck. He tangled his hand in his hair and started to move his hips in time with Than’s. He felt the muscles beneath his skin as they moved, his thrusts becoming quicker. 

Zagreus came again against Thanatos’ stomach, drawing him into another feverish kiss as he followed suit. Than kept him pinned to the wall of the shower, as though afraid to let him go as the hot water from the shower head pelted their spent bodies. 

* * *

There were a few envelopes on the floor, having clearly been slid underneath Thanatos’ office door. He glared at them, sitting on his couch with a towel over his shoulders. It wasn’t as though he had a mailbox attached to the wall outside. Sighing, he shut his eyes and leaned his head back. He could hear that the shower was still running. 

Despite the day taking the turn he had hoped it would, Thanatos was still pondering over what had just happened. He knew that this was far from the time to be so introspective, but now that he was thinking a bit more clearly, he couldn’t really help himself.

He had finally been with Zagreus in a way he never thought he could be. While they had since confirmed their feelings for one another, and each day leading up to now had been further proof, today was still rather beyond his expectations. Truth be told, Thanatos had merely planned to please Zagreus before he left for Olympus, content to wait for him to return before they went any further.

However...clearly his urges had other intentions.

Upon hearing the bathroom door open, Thanatos kept his eyes shut, listening to Zagreus’ footfalls as he approached him.

“Your hair is still wet,” the prince said.

Than opened his eyes to find Zag standing in front of him, only clad in his briefs. His own black hair was damp, a sheen of moisture still on his skin. He reached to take the towel from around Than’s shoulders, then seated himself in his lap. 

“Allow me.”

Than stared into his eyes as he towelled off his hair. “You’re in a rather precarious position, you know.”

“Am I?”

He ran a hand along Zag’s bare thigh. Zag laughed softly, continuing with his task. While he didn’t outright turn down Than’s advance, he did not take him up on it. This wasn’t that much of a disappointment, however. 

Satisfied with his work, Zag dropped the towel onto the floor. He traced Than’s features with his fingertips. 

“I suppose you’re still beholden to your earlier declaration.” Than said quietly.

Zag blinked. “You mean when I said you were beautiful? Than, come now,” he ran his thumb over his bottom lip, “I told you, I meant what I said.”

Than leaned into Zag’s hand, pressing his lips against his palm. 

“How can you think you aren’t someone to behold?”

“I rarely get such compliments.”

“Then you’d better get used to receiving them more often.” Zag settled into his arms, crossing his ankles as his legs stretched out along the sofa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At last, the moment has arrived! Not to worry, this won't be the last sex scene I write into the story.


	5. The Doubt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New conflicts arise during Zagreus's latest trip to Olympus.

It figured that Zagreus’ next trip to Olympus would wind up being a longer one. At first, he was the main one who was reluctant about it. Thanatos assured him that he would return to Hades before he knew it, but even he had to admit that he was disappointed about it. 

He wound up seeing the prince to the exit gates. 

“I wish you could come with me,” Zagreus said, standing near the threshold with his hands in his pockets.

Thanatos raised an eyebrow. “I doubt I would be of much use there. I can barely handle being in the living world for too long. Olympus is so much closer to the sun.”

“Oh, I think I could keep you safe.” Zag reached forward to rest his hands on Than’s shoulders, “Consider all of the hiding spots I know of in Hades. Just imagine the ones I found on Olympus.”

“Let’s not put your good standing in jeopardy.”

Zag stared at him, then his face split into a smile and he shook his head. “Oh, Than…”

Taking a quick glance at their surroundings, Thanatos reached forward to straighten Zagreus’ tie, leaning in to plant a quick kiss on his lips. He had to pull away quickly, or else he wouldn’t want to let him go.

“I’ll be waiting at home.” 

* * *

Fortunately, Thanatos wound up being rather busy during Zagreus’ trip. A small yet bloody civil war had erupted between two neighboring villages in the living world. Even though Ares wound up taking most of the deaths himself, as was common with war, those who could not fight often died in more solitary, tragic ways; a sobering task that Thanatos had nearly become numb to after all this time.

Reaping the souls wasn’t the hard part. But getting Hypnos to keep all the new shades in check certainly was. At worst, the entrance to Hades was filled with them, leaving little room to stand without stepping through two or three at a time.

“Hypnos, you have to pick up the pace,” Thanatos told him exasperatedly, “What if Lord Hades comes down here and sees all of this?”

Hypnos kept his eyes on his list, his quill scratching away. “I swear, brother, I’m moving as quickly as I can. Ares’ kills are taking the longest, you see. So many to get through! And killed in so many ways!” he chuckled weakly, “Who knew there was such a variety in war deaths?”

Eye twitching involuntarily, Than snatched the list out of his hands. “...This is barely legible. How can you read this?”

His brother shrugged. “Like I said, so many deaths at once, and I hardly have time to watch my penmanship.”

Tossing the list back to Hypnos, Than stalked away before his next barbed comment came rolling out of his mouth. He knew it would be going too far...it wasn’t as though Hypnos ever really failed to complete a task. Truthfully, he was becoming overwhelmed himself. 

Even Megaera had been scarcely seen these days. Oath breakers and traitors were just as common in wartime, so her work was cut out for her. Thanatos wound up spending much of his time confined to his office. Even though he did not exactly need much sleep, he started to miss his private quarters, the peace and quiet they provided. 

Lately, his only venture out was directly to Lord Hades’ office.

“Clearly this petty quarrel is delaying that boy,” Hades quipped when Thanatos came to submit his reports, “Otherwise he would have returned by now.”

“I wonder if your brothers convinced Zagreus to help resolve said quarrel.” Than replied mildly.

The God of the Underworld did not look up from the papers on his desk. “That all really depends on which weapon he took with him this time.”

Crossing his arms, Than tried to recall which Infernal Arm he had seen Zag carrying toward the exit. “...Aegis, I believe.”

“Hmph. Indeed…I should consider that a mite of an improvement on his part. Any other time, he would have taken Stygius, or perhaps Varatha, just to raise more hell.”

Thanatos gave his lord a short nod before taking his leave, questioning whether or not he actually heard a semi-complement fall from Hades’ mouth just now. Clearly Zagreus was doing something right if his father was noticing more than just his shortcomings of late. 

In the end, the civil war lasted only a few more months, with the bloodshed finally coming to an end when the surviving warriors on both sides called a truce. From the news that reached the Underworld, it was shaky at best, but there were not nearly enough survivors to really start another war, should it be broken.

Thanatos happened to overhear Hermes chewing the fat with Charon as shades disembarked his vessel on the river Styx.

“You know, it’s almost amusing how far the mortals let their petty squabble go before calling it quits,” Hermes rambled on, glittering eyes fixed on Charon as though Thanatos were not even there, “From what Ares said, there were less than ten mortals on either side of the conflict when all was said and done!”

Charon mumbled something incomprehensible to Olympus’ messenger. Thanatos was surprised to observe his brother be so engaged in a conversation.

“Right you are! That’s exactly what I thought! You know why, though...those two villages were so isolated from the rest of Greece, that no one wanted anything to do with them once the first shots were fired! And the icing on the cake here is that no one even knows what started the war in the first place!” Hermes threw back his head, laughing more in disbelief than amusement. Charon nodded complacently in reply.

Sensing the ending to their conversation, Thanatos turned to leave and head back upstairs to his office. Of course, he only got a few steps away before Hermes noticed him.

“Aha! Just the man I was looking for!” he chirped, zooming over to his side.

Thanatos fought back a groan. “Hermes...to what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I hear you’ve been working yourself to the bone these last few months, eh? Lord Ares seemed to think so too,” he reached into his bag and procured a sealed envelope, “He sends you his greetings and well wishes during this time.”

Than took the envelope curiously. “Gracious of him, to say nothing of his workload.”

Hermes chuckled. “Wouldn’t really call it work, the way he relishes in it. Though, between you and I, this was probably the most action he’s seen in a while.”

“I get the feeling he’s directly responsible for Zagreus’ delay in returning,” he muttered, slipping the envelope into his pocket.

“Y’know, funny you should mention him. When I was leaving to come here, I thought I saw him having it out with Theseus of all people.”

That gave Than pause. “Wait a second...what would Theseus be doing on Olympus?”

“Apparently he’s been given some special accommodation. A cessation of hostility between him and Dionysis, or so I’ve heard. Still...he’s been dogging poor Zagreus’ steps every time he visits.”

Thanatos couldn’t say he was surprised. Before Zagreus worked here, he was always being goaded into competing with Theseus in Elysium. Theseus allegedly kept tabs on the number of victories between them, and was determined to best the prince each time. Their competitions all but ceased when Zagreus was made liaison.

“Don’t tell me some shade is the reason he’s stuck there,” Thanatos spat without thinking, earning an exceedingly inquisitive glance from Hermes. He swallowed, trying to mask his sudden irritation.

“I wouldn’t worry too much, boss. It’s not as though Theseus can do anything among the other gods and get away with it.”

Choosing not to respond, Thanatos shifted back to his office, leaving Hermes and Charon by themselves at the mouth of the Styx.

Hermes glanced at the boatman. “Rather touchy when it comes to Prince Zagreus, isn’t he?”

* * *

Over time, the overflow of new shades trickled back down to its normal flow, much to Hypnos’ relief. The amount of stress in the Underworld seemed to lessen as well, and for once, Thanatos found himself with some free time. Having nothing else to do, he wound up joining Megaera for a drink in the lounge.

Refreshing her glass, Meg passed the bottle of nectar to Thanatos and clamped a hand on her shoulder, rolling her arm in its socket. She groaned.

“Pushing yourself too hard these days?” he asked.

“No such thing,” she replied tartly, “...I  _ will _ admit to maybe being too into my work in those last few weeks. Still, there were plenty of oathbreakers who were begging for the lash. If I must oblige, better to do so with some gusto.”

“That would explain the shades that wound up down here in shreds.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

He swallowed the last drop of his nectar, sighing heavily as the warmth spread briefly through his body. It never lasted very long.

“I take it things with you and Zag are going well?”

He glanced at Meg, who regarded him thoughtfully. “I suppose that they are.”

“No need to be so close to the vest with me, Than,” she reassured him, pouring him another drink, “Obviously he’s not too much of a distraction if you’re staying on top of things like you are.”

“We have an understanding not to interfere too much in each other’s duties.”

“How considerate.” she rolled her eyes, “Really, who would have thought Zag would be so content with such a...hmm... _ vanilla _ encounter.”

“You’re comparing our private time with yours?” Than retorted. He knew Meg was only playfully bating him.

She shrugged. “I guess I am. Not that I have a lot to go off of. It may be refreshing to know that Zagreus doesn’t kiss and tell.” 

Thanatos glanced away, taking a long drink from his glass. 

“I have to hand it to him, though. He seems to be taking his job seriously for a change.” the Fury leaned back in her chair, “Who knew that the solution was keeping him and his father apart for great stretches of time?”

“Anyone who ever overheard their tumultuous arguments,” Than replied, “Or lost count of how many times he stole away to Elysium.”

Her eyebrow arched quizzically. “Elysium? You mean his bouts with Theseus?”

Than nodded darkly.

Meg cracked her knuckles. “Well...I suppose that was his go-to strategy for blowing off steam, at least for a while.” she looked at Thanatos, “Why do you bring that up?”

“I hear Theseus has been allowed back onto Olympus.”

She straightened up in surprise. “What? Since when?”

Thanatos shrugged, setting his glass down. “Hermes mentioned it to me recently. Though even he didn’t have all of the details.”

“Surprising, given his love of gossip.”

Thanatos briefly wondered if Megaera was aware that Hermes had been spreading rumors of her and Zagreus when they had been together. 

“...I wonder if Hades willingly signed off on that decision,” Meg pondered.

“If he did, we can only speculate as to why.”

* * *

Another week passed before Zagreus finally returned to the underworld. Had Thanatos not decided to leave his office midway through the day, he would have easily missed him. Heading down to the main lobby, he happened to notice Zag standing in the gardens, speaking with Achilles. His back was to the door.

As Than approached him, he caught bits and pieces of their conversation.

“...just confused as to why he’s even there.” he told Achilles.

The former hero nodded knowingly. “I understand your frustration, lad. But I shouldn’t worry about it too much. The next time you go to Olympus, all you need to do is focus on your task.”

Zagreus hunched his shoulders, sighing. “It would be so much easier if he would stop interjecting into everything I’m doing. It took both Ares  _ and _ Artemis to make him go away.”

Achilles’ brow furrowed. “That is troubling...but it’s also telling that the other gods are taking notice of his behavior.”

Thanatos halted his steps a few feet from them.

“Ah, but...it appears we have company.”

When Zagreus turned to face him, Thanatos could barely hide his surprise at seeing just how... _ exhausted _ he looked. His usually bright eyes were marred by the dark shadows beneath them. 

His voice, however, sounded more vibrant. “Than! I was just coming to see you.”

“Thought I would save you the trouble,” Than replied, coming closer, “Good to see you, Achilles.”

“And you,” Achilles smiled at him, “Seems that you both had your work cut out for you these past few months.”

Zagreus chuckles weakly. “That’s putting it mildly.”

“Have you already seen your father, Zag?” Than asked.

“Yeah...I actually just came down from his office.” he sighed again, his tone swiftly changing back to bleak, matching his expression, “He didn’t seem too satisfied when I told him that no one knew the initial cause of the war, so I was up there much longer than I anticipated.”

Achilles clapped him heartily on the shoulder, “You still performed your duty admirably, lad. I’ll take my leave; Patroclus is expecting me.”

They bade the shade goodbye as he made his way back to the lobby. Than looked back at Zagreus as he grasped his hands, interlacing their fingers. He had stepped closer, and while he was apprehensive about them being out in the open like this, Than didn’t pull away.

“I’m glad you made it back safely,” he said quietly.

Zag gave his hand a squeeze. “I missed you too, Than.”

“I wasn’t implying that I didn’t-”

He chuckled. “Only teasing you, mate. Now let’s see...I’ve submitted my report to my father, I’ve replaced Aegis in the armory...I think I’ve done everything required of me for now.” he cast an implicit gaze toward Thanatos, “Unless you have something in mind.”

“Zag, you can barely stand. I hardly think this is the time or the place for what you’re suggesting.”

He pouted. “Are you saying that because I look tired, or because we’re in full view of the public?”

Than stared at him pointedly. “Both.”

“You can be such a bore sometimes, you know that?” Zag leaned into his shoulder. It was clear that he was fighting to keep his eyes open.

Thanatos could sense that this was swiftly becoming an almost coy argument, or at least Zag’s attempt to bait him into getting close enough to initiate something. Sighing, he decided that at the very least, a change of venue was needed. A flash of green light enveloped them, and the very next moment, they were standing in Thanatos’ office.

Releasing him, Than crossed his arms. “Better?”

His lover smiled. “Much.”

“Perhaps you’d like to stretch out on the sofa, then. Before you pass out in the middle of the floor, that is.”

He took hold of Thanatos’ tie and attempted to yank him forward. “Only if you’ll join me.”

Than stood completely still, resisting his playful tugs. “Zagreus, seriously. When was the last time you slept?”

“I thought gods didn’t need sleep like mortals do.”

He very nearly glared at him. 

Zagreus groaned, letting go of his tie. “Oh, alright, I get it.”

“You shouldn’t take my rebuffing of your advances as me not wanting to spend time with you.” his tone softened slightly, “You’ve been working for months to put an end to a war. That is no small feat, nor is it an easy one.”

It occurred to Thanatos that despite his somewhat in vain efforts to downplay his accomplishments, Zagreus recognized that he did, in fact, accomplish something quite extraordinary. For some reason, however, he did not seem quite as proud of himself as he should. It wasn’t just the obvious exhaustion. Than briefly wondered if Zag’s interactions with Theseus had anything to do with this, but chose not to bring it up right now.

If it was really something he wanted to talk about, he would let him know.

“Ares wrote to me about your deeds,” he said, gesturing to the pile of opened envelopes on his desk that had not yet been filed away, “He said he was rather impressed.”

Zagreus leaned against Than’s desk, scratching the back of his neck. “Yes, he told me that too...but I only did what was asked of me.”

“I doubt he would have spent the time writing to me just to assure me you could follow orders correctly.” Than replied, coming to stand in front of him and placing his hands on his shoulders, “In all of my years of fulfilling my duties, one thing I have learned for certain is that it is not an easy thing to end a conflict when it spirals out of control. It may have been only between two villages, but all of the deaths we have had to manage down here made it clear that it was a bloody enough conflict to be counted among some of the more historical battles.”

He watched the prince’s reactions as they gradually shifted through various emotions. At first it looked like Zagreus was seriously pondering what had just been said, and then a dull flicker of pride shined in his eyes for mere seconds, before it disappeared and he looked downcast once more.

“I hear your words, Than,” he said, “I know I should be proud of myself...but it just seems...wrong to feel that way.” he glanced up, “It’s not because of Father, before you say anything. I’m used to him not recognizing my accomplishments. I expect his utter disregard of them by now. I also know that the gods of Olympus do not doll out praise on a whim.” he leaned his head back, “Ugh...I don’t know what I’m supposed to feel.”

“Remember how you felt when you were given the position of liaison?” Than lifted his hands to clasp Zagreus’ face, “You walked right into my office with such a spring in your step, it was almost comical. But you had never looked more proud of yourself than you did in that moment.”

Zagreus leaned into his touch, not saying a word.

“Maybe you don’t see it yet, but you have proven that you deserve to hold this position. You need to give yourself more credit, Zagreus. I’m rather proud of what you’ve done thus far.”

The prince exhaled slowly, his face turning the faintest shade of pink. “...Thank you, Than.”

“You’re welcome.”

He started to say something else, but he suddenly lurched forward. Stumbling backward, Thanatos caught him.

“I knew it,” he said, “You’re dead on your feet.”

Zagreus gave a weak chuckle. “Oh, the irony.”

“Somehow I don’t think you’ll make it back upstairs before you collapse. Might I suggest we retire to my chambers, instead?”

“You mean it?”

“There would be more room for both of us on my bed rather than on the sofa,” he added, the telltale golden flush appearing on his face, “If you want to, that is.”

“Depends. Will you stay with me?”

“Of course I will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed the latest chapter! I'm hoping to bring up some new ideas going forward and explore some more relationships between Zagreus and the other characters. Rest assured, the main focus will be kept on ThanatosXZagreus.


	6. The Darkness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's that? Time for another sex scene you say? 
> 
> Okay. Wish granted.

It was rare that Zagreus found himself completely and utterly exhausted, especially since his normal state was nonstop running around, hardly pausing for breath. He had been told that he and Hermes were very alike in that way, although Zagreus was uncertain if he would ever be _quite_ up to his level. 

Whenever he had managed to sneak away to Tartarus or Asphodel to burn off energy by battling whatever wretches happened to spawn, he never felt like he overexerted himself; he would even go so far as to say it was never enough. When Thanatos began joining him down there and challenging him to see who could get the highest kill count, it brought a whole new appeal to the endeavor. Even after numerous attempts in one realm to best each other, Zagreus always felt he could keep going.

But now, as soon as they were transported to Thanatos’ private chambers, Zag needed help just to make it to the bed, and once his head hit the pillow, he was out like a light. He instantly drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.

And it was wonderful.

There were rare occasions when Zagreus would doze off or take short naps in his own bedroom in the upstairs penthouse. Before becoming liaison, it was mostly done out of boredom, and thus wasn’t very fulfilling. 

Half-conscious, Zagreus’s eyes fluttered open. He briefly recalled falling asleep on his stomach, but he hadn’t remembered an arm pinning him to the bed. 

Well, perhaps not pinning, but at the very least, keeping him in place. Thanatos appeared to be mostly asleep beside him, but Zagreus mused that he probably wanted to make sure he actually slept. As he gradually drifted further into wakefulness, Zag started to notice a few things; namely, that his tie had been removed at some point, and his shirt had been untucked and unbuttoned. Than appeared to have changed clothes as well, abandoning his normal office dress for a pair of black sweatpants. 

Zag didn’t think he’d ever seen him so casual in his life, even knowing very well that he’d seen his lover naked before. He must have been rather tired himself to stay here as long as he was. 

Freeing one of his arms, Zag reached over to move a few strands of hair out of his eyes. When he did not stir, he felt brave enough to lightly trace his cheekbone with his finger. 

It had occurred to Zagreus that while he very much enjoyed sex with Thanatos, as he expected he would, he also relished how much he loved just being around him in general. Taking their relationship further had not changed anything. Lying in his bed with him was worth dealing with mortal warfare for all these months. It was certainly worth dealing with Theseus’ arrogance.

His content smile started to falter, and his eyes narrowed. 

This was not the time to be dwelling on the long-dead king’s pompous droning. Still, it had certainly been worth it. 

Zagreus nodded to himself. That was it. No more. He turned his attention back to Thanatos and started tracing his lips with his thumb.

He never thought in a million years that he would hear words of encouragement coming from his mouth. It wasn’t as though no one had told the prince such things before; Achilles had always been there to keep him from sinking too low. Dusa always had a kind word to say, especially after the times his father would come down on him. 

Than usually showed his concern through action, and chose to teach through stern dedication. After the blowout in the filing office, however, he swiftly became less stern. 

“Nnnh.”

Thanatos shifted in his sleep, his hand grasping Zagreus’ shoulder and pulling him closer. His eyes opened, glowing golden in the darkness. 

“You’re supposed to be sleeping,” he murmured.

Zag smiled. “I was.”

Grunting, Than rolled onto his side, snaking his other arm around Zag’s waist. “Well, somehow you don’t look quite as exhausted as you did.”

“I’m feeling loads better. Even more so that you were so kind as to stay with me.”

“Did you doubt that I would?”

“Well...I know you’re busy.”

He sighed. “I happened to have some free time saved up.”

“Just to spend time with me? You’re too kind.” Zag grinned coyly, staring straight into Than’s eyes. 

The faintest hint of a smile ghosted his lips. 

“You know, it’s actually pretty nice here,” his mismatched eyes flitted toward the ceiling, “I’m almost surprised you don’t spend more time in your chambers.”

“It is, especially after I return from the living world. The darkness is soothing after being under the sun for so long.”

“Is that why you keep the blinds shut in your office all the time?”

“Pretty much.”

Zagreus closed the gap between them and pressed his lips to Than’s. He felt his fingers running along his spine as he reciprocated. Pushing him over onto his back, he sat himself neatly on his stomach, placing his arms on either side of Than’s head to keep from pressing his full weight on him. 

“I suppose if we’re here, we won’t have to worry about anyone happening upon us, right?”

“No one gets in here without my permission.”

His grin widened. “That’s good to know.”

“Did you have something in mind, then?”

Leaning down, Zagreus began planting kisses along his neckline, moving down to his collarbones. “Well, why don’t I start here...and you can tell me what you want me to do?”

He watched the blush spread across Than’s face as he gave him a quick nod. Zag paused to pull off his shirt and toss it aside, then resumed his teasing. He felt Than’s breath catch in his chest as he ran the tip of his tongue across his nipple. 

“Z-Zag…!”

“Is this okay?”

He gave another quick nod. “Yes…”

Closing his mouth over one nipple, he used his thumb to tease the other. Than let out a low, shuddering moan. From where he was sitting, Zag could feel him hardening against him already. He smiled against his lover’s skin, sinking his teeth into his flesh, taking care not to break the skin. Than’s fingers tangled in his hair, encouraging him to move lower. 

He left more marks as he complied, dragging his nails along Than’s sides, feeling the warmth spreading through him. When he made it to his waist, he took the hem of his sweatpants and worked them down past his hips.

“Zagreus…”

“Yes, lover?”

Than’s voice was thick. “You’re...a little overdressed.”

He raised his head, running a hand along the curve of Than’s ass. “Am I?”

The blush deepened. “If you’re going to ride me, that is.”

Zag straightened up. “Oh, I expect I will eventually.” he scooted over and unbuckled his belt. When Than started to sit up, he pushed him back down, pinning his shoulder to the bed. “Uh-uh. Stay put.”

Both sets of pants ended up on the floor. Zag laughed softly as Than pulled him back on top of him, taking his face in his hands to draw him into a feverish kiss. Taking his tongue into his mouth, Zag felt Than move to grasp his waist, positioning him so that he was directly on top of his hardening member. Taking the cue, the prince started to grind against him. 

Than moaned in his mouth, sending a pleasant vibration through his body. 

“I guess you did want to sleep with me after all,” Zag mumbled.

“I never said it was off the table,” Than replied, “You were too exhausted to really enjoy it.”

“But you never tried. If I was properly motivated,” Zag sat up, gripping Than’s shoulders, “I could have found the energy to keep up with you.”

“Not for what I had in mind.”

Zagreus moved his hips clockwise. “Oh? And what was that?”

Than’s hands clenched around his hips tightly. “I would have put you over my desk.” he said breathlessly.

The prince’s head went back, feeling his lover’s member prodding his entrance through his briefs. “Well well...that sounds rather domineering of you, Than. Hmmf…” he suddenly snatched his hands, “Easy now, that’s a little too tight.”

Than sat up, keeping hold of Zag’s hands. “I’m sorry...I guess I am a little overeager.”

“It’s alright. I did say you could tell me what you wanted me to do.”

Keeping hold of him, Than reached toward his bedside table, pulling open the drawer and snatching a bottle of oil from it. He hooked one thumb under the waistband of Zag’s briefs and pulled them down. Complying with an understood request, Zag sat up on his knees. 

The prince shivered when he felt slip one finger inside, coated with surprisingly cold oil. Mercifully, the cold did not last very long. 

“Ahhh...I get the feeling...I wouldn’t have been on top,” he keened, “If we were still in your office.”

“Probably not.” Than answered, working his underwear off with his free hand, “At least, not at first.”

“This fantasy of yours sounds fun,” he grinned, “We should try it sometime.”

Than replied by adding another finger. It was Zag’s turn to be teased into the level of wanton desire he was in at the moment. He latched his mouth onto the prince’s throat, feeling the moan as it rose from his lungs and out through his lips. 

“Gods, Than…!”

Clearly, it hadn’t taken him long to hit the right spot with his fingers. Slick began to drip from the head of Zagreus’ cock. Than made sure to leave a solid mark on his flesh before releasing him, pressing against the spot until Zag cried out.

“Quit tormenting me…!” he pleaded.

Than smiled at him, almost devilishly, allowing Zag to push him back down onto the bed. He relented, removing his fingers and lining himself up with Zag as he thrust his hips down, taking him up to the hilt almost immediately.

Keeping him pinned down, Zag rolled his hips, ensuring that Than kept hitting his favorite spot. Than was more than content to relinquish control, letting the prince take the lead for once. He watched the expressions pass over his face, his skin flushed a deep enough red to match the fire in his feet. 

It was nearly enough to put him over the edge, but he wanted to try and outlast him. Though, Zagreus moaning his name made that more difficult.

Finally, unable to stand it any longer, Than sat back up and clutched his lover to him, moving with him. Seemingly encouraged, Zagreus began moving faster. 

“You’re close, aren’t you?” Than whispered.

Zag couldn’t respond, at least not with clear sentences.

“Haah…” he squeezed his ass, “Keep that up, and I’ll finish with you.”

Maybe he didn’t have to outlast him after all. 

The prince’s body shuddered in his arms, coating the both of them as he came. Than rode out his own peak as Zagreus clung to him. 

And, it was apparent that he was right back to where he started, too exhausted to sit up straight. Thanatos laid them back down, allowing his lover’s full weight to sink against him. After ten or so minutes of delicious silence, Zagreus managed to lift his head slightly.

“You always render me breathless. You know that, right?”

“Another compliment?”

Zag sighed. “In the best sense. Er...would it be too much of an imposition to stay here a little longer?”

“I don’t really plan on moving anytime soon.” 

Chuckling, Zagreus snuggled against him, pressing kisses into his skin. “Funny how we always manage to end up like this.”

“You mean utterly exhausted?”

“Joyfully so.”

Thanatos stroked his hair, shutting his eyes. Their breathing slowed, syncing in rhythm to one another. He thought at first that Zagreus had fallen asleep once again, for it was rare that he would not attempt to fill the silence.

Taking the initiative, Than asked, “So...other than resolving mortal conflicts, how did Olympus treat you?”

Zagreus groaned. 

“That good?”

“No, it was perfectly fine...although, it would have been better if that damned Theseus wasn’t there.”

Than nodded silently.

“Wait a minute,” Zag propped himself up, fixing Than with a suspicious glare, “What’s that look, Than?”

“What look?”

His mismatched eyes narrowed. “Alright, who told you?”

“...Hermes felt I needed to know.”

He cursed, glaring off to the empty space around them. “It’s always Hermes.”

“Zag, I didn’t mean to-”

“No, it’s not...ugh. I should have expected this.” he suddenly looked weary, “Look, I did my best to ignore him when he caught sight of me. Even though that infuriating smug look on his face made my blood boil. Then he kept threatening to ‘knock me off of Olympus’. Nothing I said could convince him that I was _supposed_ to be there.”

“Just like Elysium.” Than mumbled.

Zagreus nodded, rolling off and laying at his side. “I can’t even begin to imagine why the gods chose to grant him amnesty, or whatever they call it. It took Artemis threatening to use him for target practice to finally shut him up.”

Thanatos rolled over to face him. “I think you should be commended for not sinking to his level. He always was too prideful to accept defeat.”

“I just...I try to remember that my position is permanent - as far as I know - and from what I was told, Dionysus is granting Theseus a temporary reprieve from Elysium.” he tried to voice his conviction, but Than could hear the doubt in his voice.

He clasped his face, attempting to soothe it away. Gratefully, Zag covered his hand with his own, closing his eyes.

“This isn’t something I wanted to talk about here.” he muttered.

“It’s alright, Zag. Better than having you bottle it up.”

“I suppose.”

Properly soothed, Zagreus eventually drifted off to sleep once again. Carefully, Than untangled himself from him and slipped off the bed, intent on drawing a bath. Again, he felt his thoughts drifting to what he and Megaera had been discussing in the lounge, speculating whether or not Hades knew of Theseus’ presence on Olympus.

 _He wouldn’t have normally bothered himself with his family’s actions,_ he thought, plugging the drain in the tub and switching the taps on, _But if he knew of this, he may have anticipated Zagreus encountering Theseus eventually._

It had to be a test of some sort. The conclusion made Thanatos unexpectedly angry. Could Hades really stoop so low as to challenge his son for his own amusement?

Even if that was true...what could he do about it?

Soaking a cloth in the hot water, Than wiped himself off, shaking his head. There was no reason to dwell on it now. He would just have to watch the situation unfold, and if any opportunity arose to help Zagreus, he would. It was the best that could be done.

He turned to retrieve the sleeping prince from his bed and carry him to the bath, leaving the frustrations behind them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Am I working in some more plot threads post coitus? Maybe. Hopefully. Hope you enjoyed the latest chapter!


End file.
